Richard Diebenkorn at the deYoung, San Francisco

During Diebenkorn’s Berkeley years, the Bay Area was the place for artistic discovery and social and political awakening. His contemporaries, which included the writers Joan Didion and Allen Ginsburg and the artists Jay DeFeo, David Park, and Bruce Conner, each captured the singular artistic and political mood. But it was more than being in the right place at the right time: Diebenkorn at Berkeley moved freely between abstract expressionism and a more figurative style, the prevailing American schools of that time. This comprehensive survey of over 130 paintings and drawings illustrates his wide-ranging exploration between the two schools, as well as the strong influence of the regional landscape on his work. We are also reminded of his remarkable contribution to influence on American art.

Richard Diebenkorn, The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966, deYoung, San Francisco, through 29 September 2013.

Richard Diebenkorn, Cityscape 1(Landscape 1), 1963, oil on canvas, The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966, deYoung,
San Francisco. Image courtesy of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Richard Diebenkorn, Untitled (Yellow Collage), 1966, cut-and-pasted paper, gouache, and ink on paper, The Grant Family Collection, Richard Diebenkorn, The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966, deYoung, San Francisco

Richard Diebenkorn, Seawall, 1957, oil on canvas, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, gift of Phyllis G. Diebenkorn, Richard Diebenkorn, The Berkeley Years, 1953–1966, deYoung, San Francisco